MATAMATA DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL

Matamata Record, Volume II, Issue 66, 24 January 1918, Page 2

MATAMATA DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL

District Member’s Report. During the past few days the energetic headmaster of the Matamata school has made a tour of the district obtaining signatures of parents whose children would attend a proposed high school at Matamata. It is gratifying to be able to state that above the required minimum number of scholars has been obtained, and that the signatures and district member’s (Mr E. C. Banks>report has been forwarded to Wellington. Mr Banks’ report is as follows : “ The district to be served by a high school at .Matamata takes in the whole of the Upper Thames valley, commencing at Kiwitahi, 108 miles by rail from Auckland, and finishing at Arahiwi, 154 miles from Auckland. The district is roughly cut in halves by the railway, which serves the country for some 12 miles on either side of it. The area is about 1000 square miles, and 13 years ago it had a population of only about 'SOO people. To-day it has a population of 5,000 people with the township of Matamata, with a population of 550 as its centre. The district is not yet half-developed. At present the principal industry is dairying, although a good deal of fattening is going on, and a lot of sheep are kept about Tirau. There are about 15,000 dairy cows in the district and 3000 for these are milked for the dried milk factory at Matamata, which sends away to the British Government 4 tons of dried milk every day for the hospitals at the front. The three nearest high schools to Matamata, by rail, are Rotorua' 50 miles, Te Aroha 31 miles, Hamilton 36 miles. The Railway service suits well but it will mean the curtailment of the lunch hour. The parents of 50 pupils have guaranted to send their children to the school and I am sure that if a good teacher is secured that number will be increased at the end of the first year. District high schools have been granted to Huntly and Taumarunui, both suitable places, but in my opinion a high school at Matamata will be more successful than at either of those places.”